Eden
by twilightesque
Summary: Cassidy has lived in Cold Bay,Alaska all her life,and wants nothing more than to escape it.When a mysterious boy moves into town,though,she quickly falls in love. /discontinued/
1. Collision

**~~~I would just like to take a moment to thank and address any readers who managed to stick with this story. I know that I have not updated in a while, and I sincerely apologize for that. I could supply a miriad of excuses, but none of them are likely to have any validity in the long run. So, basically, I would just like to say that I am in the process of updating the whole story, making small edits throughout everything I have already written. I am doing this in the hope that I will be able to alieviate my writer's block. If you have already read the currently published chapters, I will do my best to outline the minor differences that have occured in the next chapter (8).~~~**

**Disclaimer:**** I do NOT own Twilight, or any of the characters in Twilight. I do, however, own Cassidy**

**A/N: Bare with me for the first couple of chapters, as they are a bit like Twilight. I promise it will get better, though!**

CHAPTER 1- Collision

I slammed the door to my car closed as I swung my book bag over my shoulder. It was the first day of my senior year, and I was less than pleased to be back at good old Cold Bay High School. The sun above had been unsuccessful this morning at escaping the numerous clouds hanging overhead, and I shivered a little as I walked towards the school entrance. This type of weather was to be expected, though, as Cold Bay, Alaska, where I live, can get as little as sixty-one sunny days per year. Although I have lived here all my life, I have never quite gotten used to the number of overcast days we have; I yearned for the warmth of a sunnier state.

Shaking away my daydreams, I sighed as I entered the building. Only one more year of this torture, and then I could be free of the constant cage that was my hometown. I planned to go somewhere far away and very sunny for college- Florida, perhaps? I just had to get through my last year of high school first.

"Hey, Cassidy!" I turned when I heard someone call my name from behind. My face broke into a grin when I noticed who had spoken.

"Hi, Kaitlyn. How was your summer? You have to tell me all about camp," I demanded, knowing that she would proceed into a very long-winded description of every minor detail of her summer. She didn't disappoint me. I listened intently to her speech, interested in knowing what her vacation had been like.

Kaitlyn was my best friend, and I had been very lonely without her this summer, as she had gone off to a majorette camp for two months. This year, as a senior, she was to be a co-captain of our school's squad, and she had been extremely excited about the scholarship she had received to this camp. She was very good, and had been twirling a rifle since halfway through her freshman year- the youngest to ever do so at our school. When she joined, she tried her best to get me to go along with her, but it wasn't my thing. Knowing my athleticism, I'd probably end up gouging an eye out or something.

Normally, we would spend our summers together watching movies and hanging out at the local pool, but, with Kaitlyn gone, I'd had to find something else to do with my time. I ended up spending an even larger amount of time at the library than usual, rereading all of my favorites as well as scrounging up a part-time job arranging books and whatnot.

Kaitlyn managed to keep up her discourse all the way through homeroom, which was located in the farthest corner from the front door. This didn't count for much, though, as our school was roughly the size of three quarters of a football field. The student- teacher ratio of our school was incredibly low due to our town's small population, and I noticed that I had the same homeroom teacher as last year. I was pleased- I had always liked Mrs. Kreppler, who teaches calculus. I wasn't sure I would like her quite so much now that I had to take her class, though.

When the bell rang, I said a quick goodbye to Kaitlyn before heading off to my first period class. I stopped in the bathroom before class started, adjusting my appearance in the mirror. I swept my dark brown curls up into a ponytail, as they were being particularly unruly today, sticking out in random places. I made sure that my makeup was in check, backing up to look at the overall appearance. I had soft, slightly copper skin, with large, brown hazel eyes- evidence of my Native American background. My hair normally hung to just below my shoulders, but now bounced behind my head, having been contained in a rubber band. I was an average height- about five feet six inches tall. I had distinctly feminine features, and had never been an athlete. My build was too slight for that- I was thin and angular with a distinct air of fragility about me.

Satisfied with my appearance, I continued on to my first period English. English had always been my favorite class, and I was looking forward to it this year, as the teacher, Mr. Donovan, was considered the best in the school.

I entered the classroom with moments to spare, the bell ringing just as I sat down in one of the only empty seats left. I took my notebook out of my book bag and began doodling to pass the time as Mr. Donovan took roll, briefly raising my hand when he called "Cassidy Conner." He then proceeded to go over the mandatory rules of the classroom, aware that the class was not listening; I doubted he himself was even paying attention to what he was reading- we were required to hear the same rules every year, and the task had become very tedious for us seniors. I could only imagine how many times Mr. Donovan had read them.

Once English was over, I headed to Calculus, which was my second period class. I was running early, and a couple people from the first period were still evacuating the classroom. I squeezed my way past the tiny freshmen, and took a seat in the back of the class. I set down my books on the seat next to me, saving a chair for Kaitlyn, who was also in this class. When she appeared in the doorway, I motioned to her, lifting my books off of her desk as she sat down.

"How was _your_ summer? All we've talked about so far is me," she stated.

"I think I'm used to that by now- you're the one that does all the talking," I teased her.

"Well, I'm curious to know what you did all summer without your best friend to keep you company. "

"There's not much to tell, really. I pretty much lived at the library. I made a bit of money working there and got a bunch of reading done."

She made a face at the last statement. "Honestly, Cassie, I can't understand why you read so much. I'd much rather be out there living life than reading about it."

"Well, maybe some of us prefer fiction to reality," I muttered, too low for her to hear.

Mrs. Kreppler started the class then, calling everyone to order, and we didn't have a chance to continue our conversation. This suited me just fine- I hated talking about myself.

We went over our objectives for the class, and I was already dreading having to sit through this class all year. Not that I had trouble with math; I was actually quite good at it. I just happened to find it tedious and boring. The only reason I was even taking Calculus was because it would help me get into a better college.

Mrs. Kreppler was in the middle of some boring review of last year's work when the phone rang. I was half asleep when she picked it up, barely noticing the pause in her rambling. For this reason, I was very surprised when she called my name, and I was afraid that she was going to reprimand me for dozing off in class.

"Cassidy?" She looked at me; she already knew my name from last year.

"Yes, Mrs. Kreppler?" I looked at her a bit sheepishly, waiting for my scolding.

"You're wanted in the office." That took me off guard. I hadn't done anything _that_ bad, had I? Surely this wasn't because of my lack of attention- the students around me were also completely ignoring her. I shot her a questioning look, hoping for an explanation. She disappointed me by shrugging her shoulders and bending down to write something on a slip of paper.

"Here's your pass," she held out the paper toward me, and I got up from my seat to take it from her.

After grabbing the pass, I turned to leave the room without a word, casting a quick glance at Kaitlyn before I left. She was looking at me curiously, and I shook my head a bit to show her that I had no idea what was going on either.

I made my way down the short hall to the front office, walking slowly to waste time. I stared at my shoes as I walked, glad for an excuse to be out of class, even though I wasn't sure if I was in trouble or not.

I was still staring at my shoes when I felt myself collide with something very hard. I wondered for a second what it was. It felt as if I had run into a stone wall, but surely I couldn't have- I was in the middle of the hallway. I didn't wonder for long, though, because that was when the pain caught up to me. My head had broken the impact- probably not a very good thing. It felt as if my forehead was splitting in two, and I cried out in anguish, my vision blurring with the intensity of the pain. My eyes closed as I winced away from the agony. I felt myself slip towards the ground as I struggled to keep consciousness through the throbbing headache. The last thing I felt was something cold wrapping around my waist, keeping me from making contact with the ground.


	2. Perfect Stranger

**Disclaimer****: I do NOT own Twilight or any of the characters in Stephenie Meyer's wonderful series. Cassie and Adam are mine, though, so paws off! :)**

**A/N:**** Again, I apologize for the resemblance to Twilight in the first collection of chapters**

CHAPTER 2- Perfect Stranger

I awoke to something cool blowing on my face. Taking a minute to feel my surroundings, I determined that I was laying down- probably on a bed. My eyes felt lead laden, and it took a great effort for me to open them.

When I managed to, I saw a pair of tawny eyes peering back at me. The color of them startled me- it was like nothing I had ever seen before. They were a perfect dull gold, and at the moment, they were filled with concern. For some reason, something in my heart twisted at the expression in them; it made me… _uncomfortable_… to see them filled with such worry and… was that _pain_ that I saw?

I tried to widen my view, as I knew that these beautiful ocher eyes must belong to someone, but I hadn't yet seen a face due to the fact that my gaze was drawn to the eyes so immensely. When I was finally able to see the person that the eyes belonged to, I had to stifle a gasp.

A boy about my age was sitting next to me, leaning over the bed I was laying on. His dirty-blonde hair was tousled casually around his head, something that had either taken him a long time to achieve, or he had put no effort into it at all. His face was extraordinarily handsome; something that you would expect to find in a male model magazine- after the image was edited to perfection. He had pale skin, and dark circles were settled under his topaz eyes. His lips were full and unnervingly inviting, his nose angled just so, in order to create a flawless image. With great difficulty, I pulled my gaze from his amazing face to take a look at the rest of him. His build was extremely muscular, something that he must have to work hours in the gym for. I barely took notice of what he was wearing due to his extremely gorgeous features. The overall effect of him was dazzling, and I had to make sure that I remembered to breathe.

It took me a moment to figure out that the cool breeze on my face was his breath. Something told me that I should be unnerved by the unnatural ice in his breath, but I felt completely at ease next to him. His face was just a foot from my own, and his steady breathing hit me like a bulldozer. As soon as I reminded myself to breathe, I caught wind of what must have been the fragrance of his breath, as it was impossible to miss something so near to me. My head began to swim with an unfamiliar dizziness as I gulped for air, which only yielded me more of his aroma. It was not an unpleasant dizziness, but it also was not something that I needed in addition to the piercing headache that had not left me. I struggled to clear my mind and figure out my situation.

"Where am I?" I asked, gasping slightly. He backed away a bit, and I felt my relief at being able to breathe clearly again was somewhat tainted by another feeling that I couldn't quite identify. Regret? No, that wasn't quite a strong enough word…

He smiled slightly, seeming pleased that I was conscious. "You're in the nurse's office. You fainted out in the hallway."

Now that he had backed away, I was able to take in my surroundings. I was, indeed, situated on a bed in the nurse's office, bright posters smiling down at me from the walls. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was now 11:30, several hours after I had lost consciousness. An irrational urge to return to class, whichever class that now happened to be, overwhelmed me, and I started to sit up. I felt a pair of cold hands gently, yet extremely firmly, push me back down onto the bed. I looked up at him with a hint of frustration. He gazed back at me with amusement, which only served to feed my exasperation.

"You need to stay still for a little while- you were hurt pretty badly."

I groaned, realizing that he was right. I doubted that I could even walk in a straight line right now with my headache.

"How do you feel?" he asked me, looking way too concerned for someone I didn't even know the name of.

"Awful," I answered. "Do you think that there's any way that I could have some pain medication?"

He pretended to tip an invisible hat. "Coming right up, milady." His ocher eyes twinkled as he said this. My own face broke into a grin despite the pain- I couldn't help but feel well around him; his good spirit seemed to be contagious.

I watched as he strode out of the small room, the door swinging open for him. Before the door could close, he was back. The medication must have been extremely close by. He turned his back to me for a second, and when he spun back around, he had two small red pills in his hand. How did he manage to get them out of the bottle so quickly?

I sat up carefully, and he handed me the pills. He then picked up a small glass of water sitting next to my bed. He motioned for me to put the pills in my mouth, and I did so, holding out my hand for the glass. Having obtained the drink, I tipped my head back and felt the cool water sliding down my throat. I quickly finished the whole glass- I hadn't realized how thirsty I was, and the water itself seemed to be doing good for my headache.

I smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks," I murmured, my eyes locking with his. As I stared into the topaz pools, I promptly forgot all thought and pain. Instead, I sat there, simply mesmerized by his hypnotically beautiful eyes.

"No problem," he muttered, breaking our gaze as he glanced quickly down at the floor. His eyes then flickered to the door, although I hadn't heard anything coming from the other side. He took a swift step backwards, leaning himself against the wall; I hadn't realized how close he had been standing- right at the edge of my bed.

The door swung open just then, and I turned to see the elderly nurse walking into the room. She was a tad obese, and had numerous wrinkles, but her eyes crinkled kindly at me, and she smiled a warm grin.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stanley," I greeted her.

"And how are you feeling, Cassidy? It's not often that I see you around here, and you gave me quite a scare with the condition you were in." She frowned. "I wanted to drive you to the hospital, but your condition was stable- you just needed to sleep it off for a little while."

"I'm feeling better. I think I can go to class soon." I had a habit of lying about pain- I didn't like people to baby or pity me. I was amazed how honest I had been with- what _is_ his name, anyway?

She looked at me with a little frown. "You just had a pretty nasty fall, there. Are you sure you feel alright? I would really feel better if you stayed here for a while, or at least went home. Unfortunately, I don't have the power to hold you here against your will, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to go back to class."

I sighed; I could see that she was going to be difficult about this. I cast a helpless glance at the boy, hoping for his assistance. A sly smile spread across his face.

"I agree with you, Mrs. Stanley. I would be happy to drive her home- surely she shouldn't drive in her condition." Okay, that was _not_ what I had been hoping for. I glared at him for a moment, careful to keep my gaze away from his dazzling eyes. I enjoyed a few minutes off of class every now and then, but it would not be helpful to miss practically the entire first day of school. I hadn't needed to worry about him turning his dazzling eyes upon me, though, as they seemed to be working to their full effect persuading the unsuspecting nurse.

"Why," Mrs. Stanley flustered- she didn't seem to be above his wondrous eyes either- "I think that is a great idea, Mr.… I don't believe that I know your name, son?"

He smiled handsomely at her; I don't think he meant to do it- it must come naturally to him. "Adam Riter. I'm new here- just started today."

"You wouldn't want to miss your first classes, then," she told him sternly.

He bored his smoldering eyes into hers. "I'm a fast learner- I'll catch up quickly."

She looked shaken. "Well, al-alright," she stammered.

Adam slowly pushed off from the wall, and ambled casually over to my bedside. "Ready, Cassidy?" he asked me.

I had made the mistake of looking into his eyes again. I gulped, reminding myself to breathe. Words evaded me, so I simply nodded my head, still staring into his brilliant ocher eyes.

His face spread into a wide smile. "Alright, then," he said. He looked down at me, breaking our gaze. I took the time to take a couple deep breaths, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I planted my feet on the ground, and felt the room spinning around me. I did my best to hide this for my audience's sake, but I don't think I was able to fool Adam. He discreetly placed his hand on the small of my back, steering me straight. I glanced nervously at Mrs. Stanley, hoping that she hadn't seen my clear lack of clear balance. She had her back to us, and I smiled gratefully at Adam.

"Thanks, Mrs. Stanley," I said to her back. She turned to look over her shoulder and smile warmly at me, her creased face crinkling pleasantly.

"No problem, sweetie. Fell better, now."

Wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible, I didn't hesitate as I headed towards the door. The medication was starting to kick in, and my headache felt better, but I was still slightly unstable on my feet, and I was glad to have Adam's guiding hand.

As soon as we had made it back into the hallway, I paused to clear my head. Leaning back against the wall, I breathed deeply as I looked down at my feet, careful to avoid Adam's startling topaz eyes. Once I felt slightly stable, I allowed myself to look up at him.

His dull gold eyes were filled with concern as he peered back at me. I felt that same unfamiliar twist of my heart when I noticed this, and I rushed to tell him that I was fine; he beat me to it, though, as I was once again stunned speechless by his beautifully hypnotic eyes.

"Are you alright?" His voice was filled with the same concern that clouded his eyes. "Do you need to lie back down?"

I inwardly winced in horror at the prospect of re-entering the nurse's office. "I'm fine," I tried to assure him. My voice sounded a little weak, though, but that had more to do with his dazzling gaze than my headache. "I just need to get home."

"I'll take you in my car. Don't worry about yours- I can drive you in the morning as well."

It felt a little weird to be accepting car rides from a stranger, but I couldn't see another option. Besides, I was comfortable around Adam- I wouldn't mind spending more time with him.

"Okay," I said as I looked up at him sheepishly, wondering how I was going to make conversation with him when his eyes so thoroughly stunned me. "I'm ready," I tried a small smile.

"This way, then," he walked ahead of me, showing me the way. A little part of me wanted him to replace his hand on my back, and that worried me, as I had only met him mere moments ago. I had never been the kind of girl to fall for a guy solely due to his looks, and I was afraid that that is exactly what was happening now.

Regardless, I followed a couple of paces behind Adam, walking tentatively all the way. Sense was catching up to me- I didn't know this boy. He was a perfect stranger- in more than one sense of the word. He could have been a serial killer for all I knew. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite in a position to turn back now. And, anyway, we were already alone- it was too late to have doubts now; I knew I couldn't outrun him, as I was the slowest person I had ever known. My only chance would be a well aimed kick to the groin, or perhaps index fingers thrust into his eyes.

As I was contemplating attack tactics, we had reached his car. We stood in front of a sleek black sports car that looked extremely expensive. This was where my observational knowledge on the vehicle ended, though, as I was definitely not a car enthusiast- anything technical concerning automobiles immediately put me into an uninterested stupor. I knew that guys normally liked that sort of thing, though, and I remembered to comment on it.

"Um… nice car," I complimented. "It looks very… fast." I was struggling for things to say.

He seemed to be pleased by my remark. "Thanks." His face stretched into a wide grin when he said this. "It's new- I just bought it last week."

"Well… good choice," I floundered.

He chuckled at my feeble attempt at looking knowledgeable about the subject. "You have no idea what it is, do you?"

"Nope, not a clue," I agreed.

"I'll have to explain it to you sometime, but I'll let it slip for now." A grin was still plastered on his gorgeous face.

I groaned outwardly at his last comment, but I was inwardly excited at the thought- if he was going to explain it to me some other time, then he was planning on seeing me in the future.

He reached forward to open the passenger door, motioning toward it with his free hand. "In you go," he said lightly.

I smiled at him, and made the mistake of looking into his ocher eyes. I was briefly stunned by their beauty (did you never get used to them?) and stumbled as I turned to enter the car. In my moment of mesmerized clumsiness, I managed to bag my shin against the car door. I gave a yelp of pain as my headache was numbed, only to be replaced by a much stronger bout of agony originating from my leg.

The pain managed to break my daze, and I blinked furiously to dispel any lingering stupor. I tried to look inconspicuous about the pain, but there was no way that Adam had missed that yelp. I bit my lip to stop a groan of anguish when I tried to put weight on my injured leg- a move which only caused what felt like a thousand needles to prickle into my already throbbing leg. Not wanting to make a scene, I settled for what I hoped was an amused look as I spun around to face him somewhat awkwardly, due to the fact that I was keeping all my weight off of my injured leg.

I caught a look of worry on his face before he saw that I was trying to make light of the situation. In a flash that seemed impossibly quick, he rearranged his face into a somewhat amused expression, making me wonder if I had been seeing things when I noticed the worry. Looking closer, though, I detected a small hint of the concern under the carefully composed mask. My cheeks heated up in response to his pity, which was the last thing that I wanted. I spun around to enter the car, this time handling my bruised leg gingerly. I pointedly ignored Adam watching me, concentrating way too intensely on getting into the car without further injury.

Because of this, I was immensely surprised when I looked over to the driver's seat to find Adam already sitting there, closing the door behind him. How had he gotten there so fast? I was sure that I had seen him behind me not much more than a second ago. Somehow, I didn't think that I would get an answer if I asked, so I settled for shaking my head in silent wonder.

I pulled the seatbelt over myself and clicked it shut, noticing that Adam didn't bother with his. Typical guy- safety is never on their top list of importance.

We remained silent as he pulled out of the school's parking lot, but it was a comfortable silence, not at all like the awkward ones that usually occurred whenever I was alone with a guy.

Instead of succumbing to the urge to stare at his handsomely pale face, I busied myself by leafing through a large number of CDs that were situated next to my seat. I marveled at the variety; Ray Charles, the Blues Brothers, Tchaikovsky- he had it all.

"You like music." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Don't you?" he asked me, raising one eyebrow at me as the corners of his mouth crept upwards.

"I don't know. I suppose. I don't really know anything about it, though." I shrugged my shoulders.

He smirked at me, his perfectly arched eyebrows rising slightly in disbelief.

"Don't worry- I'll change that."

My heart quickened slightly at this pronouncement. This definitely meant spending more time together, and I was oddly excited by the prospect.

His smile widened discreetly just moments after my heart rate increased- almost as if he knew of the effect his words had on me.

I hastened to change the subject.

"So…" I stumbled. "Adam Riter, huh?"

"Yep, that's me." His was tone cautious, as if dreading further questioning. Unfortunately for him, this was not going to deter me.

"When did you move here?" I inquired.

"A couple of weeks ago," he offered, cautiousness still clouding his voice.

"And where did you move from?" I pressed.

"Miami." He was really starting to annoy me now- could he not give me _any_ extended information?

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child."

We had reached the end of our school's road, and he paused our less than informative conversation to look at me inquisitively.

"Which way to your house?" he asked me.

"Take a left here, and then keep going straight until I tell you."

He expertly maneuvered the car out onto the highway, only using one hand to steer. I stiffened slightly at this, but otherwise kept my opinion to myself. Good driver or not, turning into heavy traffic while one-handed was never a good idea.

After a short moment, Adam spoke, careful to keep the subject away from himself.

"And you?" he inquired. "Have you always lived here?"

I rolled my eyes at his stubbornness. "Unfortunately." Two could play this game- I didn't bother to expand my answer. He was going to have to work just as hard as me to get any information.

"Do you live with your parents?"

"Not biologically; I'm adopted," I said nonchalantly.

He backtracked. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I never knew my parents, anyway. Kristen and Steve have been my mother and father for as long as I can remember. As far as I'm concerned, there are no two better parents on the planet."

"It's nice that you love your parents so much." His voice was masked with a tinge of relief that I could not quite place. I furrowed my brow in puzzlement, but Adam plunged forward before I could wonder too much.

"Do _you_ have any siblings?" he asked me.

"Nope. I'm a loner, too. My parents always say that having me is handful enough." I realized that I had been looking at him a bit intensely, and turned my gaze away from his face. Only then did I realize the houses transforming into a blur around us. I glanced down at the speedometer, and gasped aloud.

"What is it?" Adam asked me, confused with my change of mood.

"You're driving over a hundred miles per hour!" I exclaimed, now staring at the gauge in horror- it read one hundred fifteen miles an hour.

He still seemed confused. His forehead creased in bewilderment as he addressed me, "And…?"

"Slow down!" I demanded, very nearly screaming.

"Why?" he asked me, his expression now amused. His tawny eyes sparkled with entertainment, but I was too worried at the moment to be stunned by them.

"BECAUSE!" I fumed. I struggled to control my voice; I was very near to hysterics now. "We could be killed!"

He seemed to study my furious and frightened expression for a second, and I noticed his foot slacken on the gas a bit. I gave a small sigh of relief when I saw the speed dial inching downwards, and I loosened my grip on the edge of the seat that I had not realized I had been clutching; my fingers now ached with pain from my tight grasp.

His voice was slightly annoyed when he spoke, but mostly he still seemed amused. "I'm not going to crash, Cassie."

"How do you know that?" I shot back, still furious. Mainly I was mad at myself, though. How could I have let myself get into this car with such a maniac?

He seemed to be stumped for an answer, and I smiled in grim triumph. I was now very near to relaxed; the speedometer read sixty-five.

"Just drive within the speed limit from now on, okay?" I snapped. However terrifying I may find his driving to be, though, I have to admit that he was an excellent driver- he seemed to have the vehicle under perfect control. I was not about to admit this fact out loud, though.

I was astonished to find that we were now very close to my house- I suppose this had something to do with the manic speed at which we had been driving. "Take a right here," I muttered, my anger now simmering out as he maneuvered down my small road. "It's the third house on the left."

He pulled into my driveway and put the car into park. My house was white with yellow shutters, and I thought it would be more suited for a beach-front property than the dreary likes of Cold Bay, but it had its own charm. It was small, but homey; we didn't need all that much space with only three people living in it, anyway. The gardens bordering the building were bright with variously colored flowers overflowing the yard. My mother was an avid gardener- a habit she had picked up from her mother. It was not a tradition that I planned to carry on, though, as I couldn't stand the amount of dirt it involved. Just thinking about digging my hands into the ground like that made me grimace with disgust.

I turned to face Adam, carefully avoiding his topaz eyes. "Thanks for the ride," I said to the steering wheel. I couldn't tell what his expression looked like when he replied, but he sounded cheerful enough considering the fact that I had just screamed at him moments before.

"No problem. See you at school."

"Yeah, bye," I replied, now embarrassed by my outburst. I didn't know why I was, though, as it had been perfectly justified.

I pushed the car door open and swung it shut behind me. It was then that I noticed that I had left all of my stuff at school. I shrugged my shoulders- I didn't have any homework, anyway; at least not from the one class that I had sat all the way through. And a blackout should be a worthy enough excuse even if I did, so I wasn't too worried.

I didn't allow myself to look back at Adam's beautiful face as I walked up the steps to my house. Only when I heard the engine come to life, and then fade into the distance, did I turn around. I watched as the sleek black car moved swiftly down the road, vanishing from sight as it turned left onto the highway.


	3. Contemplations

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in updates! I had a very busy Thanksgiving weekend, although that is no excuse. Anyway, on with the reading... (Oh, look, its a short chapter too. How does it possibly take her all that time to write just a couple thousand words?)

**Disclaimer: **Hahahahahahahah!!!! You thought I owned Twilight? Are you on crack??? I in no possible way own Twilight or any of Stephenie Meyer's wonderful characters! (Psh... even if they don't show up yet... oh, look! I just gave something away... oopsies!) Paws off Cassie and Adam, though!

CHAPTER 3- Contemplations

"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" I called to the house once I made it inside. I couldn't remember what cars had been parked out front, and wasn't sure who, if anybody, was here.

"In the kitchen, Cass," I heard my mother's answering call announce from my left. I followed her voice, and found her drinking a cup of coffee while reading the day's newspaper.

"How was your day at school?" she asked me pleasantly. I saw her gaze flicker to the clock, and she frowned in confusion. "What happened? Why are you here so early? Are you okay?" she demanded. I sighed- I knew she would react like this. And I hadn't even said anything yet.

I briefly considered fabricating a lie to tell her- something that wouldn't be a problem for me, as I seemed to have an innate ability that tells me how to stay out of trouble. At this point, I didn't fear getting reprimanded, but I knew that my mother was going to make way too big of a deal out of my little… episode, and I wanted to avoid that if possible. Unfortunately, my "trouble avoidance radar" was telling me that the safest way to go in this instance would be to tell the truth now. Cold Bay was by no means a big town, and it doesn't take news long to travel here. Because of this, my little injury was bound to reach my mother's ears sometime. If it was from anyone other than me, it could be cause for a potentially dangerous situation.

I sank down into the chair across from her, already exhausted from the prospect of convincing her of my safety. Placing my head in my hands, I stared down at the knots in the ancient table as I continued.

"Well, I kind of ran into something at school, and I fell and hit my head. The nurse sent me home because I was feeling a little faint." No need to tell the _whole_ truth.

"And you drove yourself home?" she sounded alarmed. I looked up from the table. Yep- definitely alarmed. "Why didn't the school call me to come pick you up?"

She looked distraught. I could easily picture some nasty phone calls to the school. Maybe even an interview with the local news station. My mother never did things halfway.

"No, no," I hastened to calm her. "A kid from school drove me home. No big deal- the nurse made sure I had a ride."

She only looked slightly assured. "They shouldn't allow students to leave with random people like that. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen." She would know.

"It's okay, Mom. Adam was heading in this direction anyway, and offered me a ride." Maybe that would subdue her. "No big deal," I repeated.

Her brow was still creased, and her mouth still formed a disapproving frown, but she seemed to be running out of arguments. I knew talking any more would only serve to rile her up again, so I ducked my head and stared once again at the knots in the table.

After a few minutes, I heard the sound of her chair scraping the kitchen floor as she got up. I didn't look up as she left, but I was sure that I heard her muttering angrily to herself as she departed.

Now alone in the small kitchen, I sighed. I was sure that the worst was over. Hopefully, my mother would forget all about our conversation as soon as she busied herself in working. This would not be out of the question, because as one of the area's most successful lawyers, she was often buried in work. Normally I didn't count this as a good thing, but it could be used to my advantage in my current situation.

After confronting my mother, I had done laundry, watched television, and surfed the web for a little while. It was all busy work, and I subconsciously knew that this fact was purposeful.

When I ran out of tasks to do, I headed upstairs. It was still early for me to be going to bed- only seven thirty- but I feigned a headache and excused myself anyway. In reality I felt physically fine, but my head was still spinning with the day's events, and I wasn't quite ready to analyze anything yet. Because of this, I busied myself getting ready for bed, delaying actually going to sleep for as long as possible. As soon as I was lying in my bed, there was going to be no way to avoid the thoughts that I wished to suppress.

I finished with my shower all too soon, and attempted to prolong washing my face by vigorously scrubbing at my pores. Having finished this, I brushed my teeth for a full five minutes. By the time I left the bathroom, I felt cleaner than I ever had before.

Eventually, I resigned to the fact that I was going to have to go to sleep. I plodded down the hallway and into my bedroom, still dreading any time that I was going to have to think. I wasn't entirely sure why I was so reluctant to mull over the day's events, but some innate sense told me that the day's happenings were anything but normal, even though I so wanted them to be simple and uncomplicated.

Already in my pajamas- or, more specifically, my sweatpants and a t-shirt- I threw my dirty clothes into the hamper sitting in my closet. The sun's last rays were spilling though my window, causing a block of sunlight to highlight a small piece of my deep blue carpet. I moved over to the window sill, and pushed open the bottom half of the window. There was not a screen behind my window, and I leaned out to inhale the scent of my backyard. Trees were scattered throughout the area, and my mother's colorful flowers dotted the ground. One might wonder how my mother had time to keep up with her gardening, what with her being the powerful lawyer that she is, but she managed. Gardening was very important to her, and she took care of her plants.

A bluebird sat in the topmost branches of one of the trees closest to my bedroom. This placed the creature just ten feet away from me, still leaning out of my open window. I smiled at it, truly marveling at its beautiful structure- I had always loved birds, and they fascinated me to no end.

I sat watching the bird unthinkingly for a good number of minutes, the darkness slowly enveloping us. My eyes adjusted with the setting sun, and the bird sat unnervingly still while I silently observed it. I was leaning with my elbows on the windowsill, and after about half an hour, they ached where the sill pressed into my skin. Taking this a sign to move, I reluctantly turned away from the bird, seeing it ruffle its feathers as if to readjust itself as well. I moved towards my bed, lying on my stomach on top of the covers with my head propped up on my hands. When I looked back at the window to search for the bird outside, I was surprised to find the little bluebird perched on the windowsill. I furrowed my brow at its bravery, and looked at it inquisitively, as if looking for an answer. Finding none, I shrugged my shoulders, and continued to watch it as before.

Unfortunately, I was not able to reenter the thoughtless state that I had been in at my window. Here, lying on my bed, I was faced with the thoughts that I had been trying so hard to suppress. I was still slightly unsure why I wished to avoid thinking about the day's events, but I thought that I had a good guess now. As much as I wanted what had happened to be a simple matter- one requiring little contemplations, I somehow knew that that was not the case. Something inside me told me that there was a lot more to the situation that what meets the eye. The question was: what?

Resigning to analyzing the morning's happenings, I decided to start from the beginning. All I remembered was walking down the hallway, not watching where I was going, and then hitting something very hard. It was at that moment that I realized that I had no idea what it was I had hit. I didn't manage to catch a glimpse of the object, because I had flinched and closed my eyes right after impact. I thought back to how I had felt when I hit it. Whatever it was had been very hard- I knew that I had thought of a stone wall when I first felt it; it was smoothly solid, and cool to the touch. Looking back now, I knew that a stone wall was not an option, because I had been in the center of the hallway. There was no way I would have missed such a structure when entering the building originally, either.

I had successfully crossed out an option, but I was disappointed that my theory had been disproved; I didn't have another one. Tried as I might, I had no idea what I could have collided with. This frustrated me- shouldn't I at least know what was responsible for causing my blackout?

I was still staring at the bluebird as I stewed over this. I was now looking at it unseeingly, lost in my own thoughts when I noticed something. My bedside lamp was reflecting off of its eyes when I noticed it. The creature's eyes were exactly like those of a certain person I had met today.

The little bird was looking at me intelligently with exquisite, dull-gold eyes when it let out a small chirp. This was truly confusing me- what made this animal so confident around me? No other wild bird I had met would have come this close to a human. Knowing that I was not likely to get an answer, I simply stared at its exotic topaz eyes, allowing my thoughts to wander once again.

I was sure that the reason for my foreboding feeling about the day had to do with a particular person. It was not hard to figure out who that person was.

In my mind's eye, I could conjure up a perfect picture of Adam. I could see his smooth, pale skin and tousled blonde hair. I could see the way his mouth curved upwards into an easy smile when he was amused. I could see the concern that had clouded his eyes whenever he worried about my health.

This also puzzled me. Why _was_ he so concerned? It was nice and all, but why would he worry about _me_? We had never met before, and he had looked worried about me before I had even spoken a word. It didn't seem like polite worry that someone would have for a stranger, either. Something about the way he had looked at me gave evidence that the concern ran deeper than that.

"Adam," I said aloud to myself. "Who are you?"

A sudden flurry of noise startled me into re-focusing on the bluebird, which was still perched under my window. The bird bore a look complete surprise, its breast feathers ruffled up as it looked at me with shocked topaz eyes. I figured that its startling had something to do with my voice- I had not spoken in front of it before this.

For a moment, the little avian resembled a deer caught in headlights before it registered what was going on. The creature stared at me with shocked eyes, completely frozen. Not more than three seconds later, it swiftly turned to fly out into the now pitch-black night.

Now on my own, I rose off of my bed and crossed over to the little desk situated in one corner of my room. From one of its drawers, I pulled my sketchpad and a pencil. My sketchpad was filled with various drawings from the last couple of moths, and I flipped it open to a blank page.

From memory, I sketched a perfect black and white image of Adam. He stared at me warmly from the page, a broad smile lighting up his features. As an afterthought, I drew the little bluebird perched on his shoulder, sitting peacefully. It was faced towards Adam, and stared at him with admiring eyes. I myself thought that it looked ridiculous doing so, but that was how I pictured it, and therefore how it was drawn on the paper.

Having completed my sketch, I closed my sketchpad and replaced it in its drawer. Glancing at my clock, I noticed that it was now nine o'clock. Where had that hour and a half gone? Not that I was complaining- it was now an acceptable time for me to go to bed; a little early, maybe, but not too bad.

I slipped under my covers, and switched off my bedside lamp. Settling in for the night, I could not shake the feeling that I was being watched. I was getting a real headache, now, though, and quickly fell asleep before I could figure out the base for the feelings.

**A/N:** Okay, so one of the reasons it took me so long to update was because I had to figure out what Adam's power was going to be. I did finally decide, though, and there is a bit of a hint in this chapter. Can you guess what he can do??? Cassie's mom will give you a flower if you can! Reviews are much appreciated!


	4. A Realization

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters or ideas.**

**Sorry for the LONG wait, guys. I had a bit of writers block working on some fluff, and I hope it turned out to be at least mildly satisfying.**

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Chapter 4- A Realization 

I woke up stiff the next morning, with the feeling that something important had happened yesterday, although it was currently escaping me.

"Oh," I murmured softly as it all came rushing back to me. I sat for a minute, stunned by the reality of yesterday's mysterious events. I got dressed in a daze, still not entirely sure that my first day at school hadn't been a dream.

It was early in the morning for me to be getting up- only quarter of six. I supposed this had something to do with the early time I had turned in the previous evening. I padded softly down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone.

I walked over to the coffee maker and flipped it on. Sitting down at the kitchen table, I waited for my coffee. I wouldn't truly be awake until that first cup, and I was in a sluggish state while I waited.

After a few minutes of staring blindly and sleepily ahead, the coffee machine beeped shrilly, alerting me to the completion of its task. I shuffled bleary-eyed over to my required morning stimulant. Once I had poured myself a cup of coffee, I poured in a large amount of sugar, and just a miniscule spoonful of cream.

When I had completed my cup of coffee and woken up somewhat, I moved over to the fridge to hunt for a carton of orange juice. I was opening the door when I noticed the note taped to the refrigerator.

Cassie,

I had to leave early for work. There's an egg sandwich for your father in the fridge. Try not to get yourself killed today.

Love,

Mom

I smiled at her casual reference to my accident yesterday- hopefully that meant that she was done going into hysterics about it.

I set the note on the kitchen table, and continued getting my glass of orange juice. Drinking from my glass, I removed the egg sandwich my mother had made from the fridge, and then grabbed a paper towel. I set both down on the table for my father.

Snatching the note up, I tossed it in the garbage can on my way upstairs. When I reached my parent's bedroom, I paused to knock on the door.

"Dad?" I called. "Time to get up!"

I heard a rustle from the other side of the door which must have been him awakening. "Thanks, Cassidy," he responded.

I was already on my way into my bedroom when I replied with, "No problem!"

My backpack was laying next to my bed when I swung it up onto my shoulder in a hurry- I didn't want to make Adam wait once he got there. I grabbed my purse off of my vanity, and headed downstairs.

I almost ran into my dad, who was just leaving his bedroom, in my rush to get down. "Watch it, Cass," he warned with an amused lilt to his voice. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he wondered.

"I have a ride this morning," I explained, "and I don't want to make them wait."

Not waiting for a response, I proceeded to head downstairs at breakneck speed- something a little dangerous for someone who isn't in the least bit athletic. Fortunately, I had pretty good balance, and managed to make it down the stairs in one piece. On second thought, I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar- it wouldn't do to have me passing out from starvation after my ordeal yesterday.

Shoving the bar into my mouth, I slipped on my shoes, and peered out the window. Sure enough, a shiny black sports car was parked out front. For some unknown reason, my heartbeat suddenly doubled in rate.

"Bye, Dad!" I called, to make sure that he knew I was leaving. I swung the door open, twirling around and slamming it shut with a little more force then I had meant to in my eagerness.

My heart beat sporadically when I turned around to face Adam. I was beginning to think that I had an unhealthy attraction to him- I _still_ didn't know him, yet I always seemed to be so affected by his presence. Regardless, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful he looked leaning against the hood of his sleek car, smiling at me pleasantly. His teeth flashed a brilliant white beneath his grin, and he swept his ruffled hair back with one of his pale hands. Those topaz eyes of his twinkled beneath a long set of full lashes, and my breath caught in my throat for a moment while his gaze held mine. I had to remind myself how to breathe correctly when he released my eyes after couple of seconds, and I tried hard to keep my heart rate at an even pace.

I suddenly felt shy. I could clearly remember the last conversation that we had had, and there had been a lot of yelling on my part- yelling at him, to be precise. He didn't look mad, though; actually, he looked rather amused. At what, I couldn't imagine.

"Hello," he said politely to me, his voice musical. My heat soared at the sound of it. I gave him a small, shy smile. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Fine, thanks. And you? How did you sleep?" I responded just as politely.

"I had a good night as well," an amused smile crept across his face, as if there was a joke that I was missing.

I stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds, still unsure weather or not he was angry. His expression gave no evidence otherwise, however, so I didn't believe he was.

Adam walked around me to open the passenger door, and I was careful to avoid his gaze as I got in- I remembered the throbbing that had occurred the last time that I had gotten into his car while spellbound.

He was once again in the driver's seat faster than I thought humanly possible. I raised my eyebrows at him, but all I got in response was an overly-innocent expression. I changed the subject, not wanting to ruin the mood- I was already grateful that he didn't seem to be holding a grudge against me; no need to provoke him any further.

"I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not long at all," he replied.

A sudden thought came into my head that had been bothering me last night. Not bothering with small talk, I plunged right ahead.

"Um… I was wondering," I hesitated as he pulled the car out of my driveway, "do _you_ know what I hit yesterday? I can't seem to remember what it was that I ran into…"

His expression was hard for me to read, almost as if he was working at hiding something. "I don't know, Cassidy," he said, his musical voice turning sharp. "All I know is that I found you unconscious in the middle of the hallway."

I blushed slightly at his tone of voice; what right did he have to talk to me like that? All I had done was asked him a simple question. I crossed my arms over my chest to show my displeasure with his comment.

When I peeked out of the corner of my eye at him, he cast a sidelong glance at me. Seeing my contempt, his own expression softened from the hard mask that it had been. His ocher eyes smoldered at me as he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. Forgive me; I don't know what came over me." His tone sounded so honest that I couldn't help but believe him. That didn't mean that he was forgiven, though.

Unfortunately, I was unable to resist his scorching gaze. How unfair was that? I should at least be allowed to be angry in peace. Despite the unjustness of it all, I melted like butter under the gaze of his beautiful topaz eyes.

"That's alright," I said slightly unwillingly.

We were now at the end of my road, and Adam maneuvered the car onto the highway. I felt the car smoothly accelerate underneath me, and I avoided looking out my window- no need for a repeat of yesterday; he had already proved to me that he could drive safely, even if I didn't agree with the speed at which he did it.

We were silent for what seemed like an eternity while I tried to think of something to say. Like last time, the silence wasn't an uncomfortable one, but I didn't want to waste any time that I had with him not talking. I loved to hear the sound of his voice, and I didn't want it to ever stop. Unfortunately, I was awful at starting conversations, which didn't help me much. I cast my gaze around the car (still not looking outside), and rested upon the huge stack of CDs which were still placed next to my seat. The subject had already been used, but it was all I had at the moment.

"You really have a lot of CDs here."

He shrugged. "I like listening to music. This is nothing compared to what I have at my house."

This was hard to imagine. I had figured that he kept all of his CDs in his car- there were at least seventy in here. If this was "nothing," I would hate to see how many he had altogether.

I shuffled through one stack, trying to find similarities in the music. Finding none, I asked, "Is there a specific type of music you listen to?"

"Not really. I'll try almost anything. There are a few exceptions, of course."

"And what are they?"

"Well, I really hate most sixties and seventies music; too much 'free-spirited' junk for me." He twisted his face into mock disgust. It was funny how he could still look god-like even when he was wearing that expression- I was sure not many people could pull that off.

"Do you have a favorite?" I asked him.

"Not particularly- it depends on what mood I'm in."

I took the pause in conversation to chance a look around me. With a start, I noticed that we were already pulling into the school parking lot. Glancing at the clock, I noted that it had taken seven minutes for us to cover a normally twenty-minute distance. I didn't even want to know how fast we had been going to get here that quickly; the very thought of it made me want to throw up the granola bar.

The sound of the driver's door shutting reached my ears as I twisted around to unbuckle my seatbelt. When I turned to open the door, Adam was already opening it for me. I blushed slightly at his chivalry, which only caused his mouth to turn upwards into a smirk. I rolled my eyes at his self-pleased expression, and mumbled a barely audible, "Thanks."

He seemed to have no trouble hearing me, though, and replied with a chipper, "No problem."

We walked companionably together to the school's entrance, keeping a polite distance from each other. It took a great deal of strength to resist the urge to glance over at him every five seconds, but I managed- I didn't want to seem psychotic or anything.

I felt the stares of the surrounding students, and glanced around. I could count at least twenty girls staring- no, ogling- at Adam just from my quick preliminary check, and nearly as many casting jealous glares at me. My cheeks blushed to what I was sure was a not-so-modest shade of red in reaction to their gazes. Allowing myself a quick peek at Adam, I noticed that he didn't seem to be in the least bit perturbed by the stares being cast in his direction. In fact, he was looking at me when I turned to him, and he did not move his gaze when I glanced at him. Luckily, he didn't turn his golden eyes onto mine, so I was free to turn an even deeper shade of red as I quickly turned to stare straight ahead.

When we reached my homeroom class, I paused outside the doorway. Taking a deep breath, I turned to look into his exquisite ocher eyes. We stood like that for a moment, our gazes locked on each other. His eyes revealed a look that I found odd. There was a type of confusion in them, as if there was something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Regardless, I felt myself melting under his gaze, and I was afraid that my knees would buckle under the pressure.

"See you later, Cassidy," he breathed in my face. My head began to swim from the intoxicating scent, and I could barely manage to get out a response.

"See ya," I choked out, once I had caught my breath.

His lips turned up into a wide grin that very nearly caused my knees to give out all the way. Unfortunately- or fortunately, if you count staying conscious as a good thing- he then walked away to go to his own homeroom class.

Still slightly dazed, I sauntered somewhat drunkenly towards my seat. It took me a few minutes before I realized that someone was talking to me.

"Earth to Cass…" I looked up to see Kaitlyn looking at me strangely.

"Oh, hi, Kaitlyn," I was still struggling to maintain a level of comprehension to my surroundings.

"What is wrong with you this morning?" she sounded amused at my lack of attention.

"Nothing." She would of course get the whole scoop on Adam later, but I didn't think that I could come up with a complete sentence at the moment.

"If you say so," she didn't look entirely convinced. Luckily, the bell rang at that moment, saving me from having to extend any further.

My first two periods went by fairly uneventfully for me. Since almost nothing had happened yesterday, I only had a minimal amount of work to make up.

It was as I was walking into my third period class, AP Chemistry, that I saw him. He was leaning against the wall outside of the classroom as if waiting for someone. That was when I noticed that he was looking directly at me. My breath hitched up in my throat when I realized that he must have been waiting for _me_. _Breath, Cassidy_, I told myself. Gathering all the courage I could muster, I walked up to him with a hopefully deceivingly confident air. I sent quick thanks that Kaitlyn wasn't in this class, and therefore wouldn't be staring obtrusively at me the whole time.

"Hey," he said to me. "It seems that we have this class together." I was yet again stunned by his handsome pale skin and muscular body. For the moment, I avoided looking into his eyes due to the fact that I wanted to remain at least somewhat coherent for part of the conversation.

"I guess so," I said not-so-wittily. Jeez, what is wrong with me around this guy?

He simply chuckled at me, a smile reaching up to his gloriously deep eyes. Normally, I didn't like to be the brunt of people's amusement, but I didn't mind it in this instance- anything that made Adam smile was worth doing.

_Wait. What?_ Did I seriously just say (or think, I suppose) that? _Stop it, Cassidy_, I chided myself. _That's not exactly a healthy way to be thinking. Would you seriously do _anything_ to make this guy happy? Including jumping off of a bridge?_ I paused to think about that one, and the pause alone scared me. If I was willing to consider it, and I barely knew him, what would my reaction be once I got to know him better? Despite this trepidation, there was no doubt in my mind that I _did_ want to get to know him better.

Adam simply stood there watching me as these thoughts floated around my head. His expression was soft and comforting as he leaned against the wall. I looked into his topaz eyes- a mistake, I knew, but how could I resist?- and felt the breath knock quickly out of me. Once again, I stood there dazzled, struggling for breath.

"Cassidy?" his velvety-smooth voice broke the spell as he furrowed his brow. He gave me a questioning look, as if worried for my mental stability. He _must_ know why I was constantly being dazed in his presence; I was sure that I was not the only one dazzled by him- a quick look at any nearby girls could confirm that.

Having been released from my stupor, I blushed furiously as I worked on reminding myself how to breathe. _Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.__ Okay, now reply, Cassidy- before he thinks you're psychotic._

"I'm fine," I tried to assure him, slightly breathlessly. He didn't look totally convinced, but also didn't seem to be concerned for my mental health anymore.

"I suppose we had better go in now; it wouldn't be a good idea for us to be late on top of being absent yesterday."

I sighed, knowing he was right, but gave a small pout to show my displeasure all the same. "Yeah…"

I followed him into the classroom, only to find that we _were_ behind time; it looked as if the whole class was already seated. I paused awkwardly in the doorway behind Adam, unsure where I was supposed to sit.

"Nice of you two to join us today, Miss Conner and Mr. Riter." I snapped my head around to see our Chemistry teacher glaring at us. Students, eager for any distraction from class, stared at us in anticipation of a show (well, the girls were just staring at Adam, regardless).

Adam stepped smoothly up to the teacher, lowering his voice so as not to make a scene.

"I will assure you that it is with complete permission that Cassidy and I were absent from your class yesterday."

Although taken aback by Adam's excellent articulation, the teacher's face was still set in a hard mask. After a few moments of quiet consideration, a disappointed expression began seeping through.

"I did get a note from the nurse excusing you two yesterday," he admitted.

"Then what seems to be the problem, sir?" Adam asked innocently.

The teacher knew that he was cornered, and seemed a bit pissed to have had his tirade cut short. "Nothing," he said grudgingly. "Everyone has already picked partners, so it looks as if you two will have to be paired together; you snooze, you lose," he said this as if it were a bad thing- not that he cared if it was (in fact, I think that he was pleased for it to be a bad thing). I hated to burst his bubble, but I would like nothing more than to be partnered with Adam.

"Yes, sir," Adam said gravely. I wondered if he was really _that_ reluctant to be paired with me. My good mood plummeted as I realized this. I should have known better than to be excited. Adam had only been being nice to me because he felt sorry for me. There was no way that he liked me like _that_. He, a painfully handsome boy that could easily trump any male model, would have no interest in _me_, a normal teenaged girl whose looks fell severely short of beautiful and whose intelligence was excruciatingly average- I may be in an AP class, but that didn't mean much around here.

I painted a remorseful look onto my face for causing him to miss yesterday's class and be stuck with me. Prepared to apologize as soon as we sat down, I was almost knocked off of my feet with shock when Adam turned around to face me. His eyes were twinkling with humor and delight, and he wore a wide smile as he winked at me when the teacher couldn't see. I felt my heart go into overdrive, and all I could manage was a weak smile. My mind was working furiously to keep up with the past events.

_Was he joking, then? Did he _not_ really regret being partnered with me?_ One look at his elated face left me with no doubt- he really _did_ like the idea of being paired with me. I walked a little sluggishly to two open seats in the back while I tried to mull over the fact that he really did want to be around me.

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**Thoughts, guys? REVEIW please!**


	5. Disbelief

**A/N: Here's a little Christmas treat for all of my lovely reviewers/ readers! I was having issues as to what to write, but I think that sould hopefully be cleared up soon, which will mean more updates more quickly.**

**Yeah, I still don't own Twilight, but I guess I'll get over it eventually.**

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CHAPTER 5- Disbelief

AP Chemistry would have gone by excruciatingly slowly if it had not been for Adam. The teacher, whose name I figured out was Mr. Birnelli, was reviewing last year's material, which meant that half the class was falling asleep. I would have joined them if Adam had not been there to offer sarcastic commentary, which never failed to create a smile on my face. There had even been a couple of times when I had had to restrain myself from outright bursting with laughter in front of the whole class. By the end of the period, I was more than comfortable sitting here next to Adam, and I decided not to over-analyze the situation; whatever happened, I would go with it.

I was packing up my things as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Still trying to suppress my latest fit of giggles, I shook with silent laughter until I could hold it in no longer. I released the last hour's or so worth of laughter, doubling over from the impact of it. After a couple of seconds I straightened, gasping for air. Ignoring the bizarre stares that were being cast in my direction, I turned to face Adam, a huge smile still plastered on my face.

Adam, his own face being pervaded by a wide grin, spoke to me once he was sure that I was under control.

"So," he began. "Would you like to join me for lunch today?"

I answered quickly, not giving myself a chance to get nervous. "Sure."

My next class, French, went by dully. I could not get my mind off of Adam, and I spent the whole period lost in my own thoughts, only being jarred back to reality once when an exasperated Senora Farlow asked me a question. Kaitlyn was not in this class either- she hated foreign language with a passion and had only taken the two required years- and there was no one else to notice my spacey behavior.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, I was out of my seat and dashing out of French before anyone else had even packed up. When I made it past the doorway, I worked to slow my pace, so as not to seem too eager (or mental, for that matter). Fortunately, I didn't have to work on this too long, because Adam was waiting for me just outside the French classroom. Upon seeing him, I couldn't stop a wide smile from spreading across my face. Subconsciously, I had no idea _why_ I was so happy to see him, but I decided to stick with my earlier plan of playing it by ear.

Throwing all conscious thought out of the window, I broke into a run and bounded the few remaining strides to Adam, skidding to a stop in front of him. In the time it took me to realize what I had done, I felt a deep blush creeping up my cheeks, and I looked up at him sheepishly. He didn't seem upset at my assertive behavior, though. Instead, he wore a smirk, eyebrows raised slightly at the show of boldness that was so unlike me.

I bit the inside of my cheek nervously, and smiled tentatively at him. Apparently, he decided to ignore my little outburst, as he quickly changed the subject of our little non-verbal conversation. He switched from a smirk to a welcoming smile, and swept his arm in the direction of my locker, bidding me forward. I moved to walk past him, but, just as I did so, he reached forward, grabbing my books from my arms and shifting them effortlessly into his own grasp to carry them.

Rolling my eyes as his chivalry, I bent my knees and lifted the hem of a nonexistent skirt into a courtesy.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I teased, turning to skip down the hallway, arms swinging at my sides, towards my locker. Adam's musical laughter bounced off the walls after me. This was the first time that I had heard him laugh outright, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sound was. My own teasing smile widened in response, and I was glad that he could not see my face, for I was sure that it would give away the pure bliss that I was feeling right now. I was still not completely sure what it was, but there was something about Adam that just felt completely _right_- as if there was something that I had been searching for, and it was finally found. The thing was that I hadn't known that I had been searching for anything.

Not looking back, I continued my boisterous skipping down the short distance to my locker. Once there, I dialed in the combination and removed my book bag and sweater- a common accessory in Cold Bay during all but the warmest summer months. When I turned to find Adam's progress, I jumped about a foot in the air, hand flying to my chest to steady my racing heart. Adam, in all his perfection, was standing not a foot behind me, and had come up unnoticed on my part. An amused smirk swept across his flawless face; he was obviously entertained by my flighty reaction. I sent him a glare for sneaking up on me, but, let me tell you, it is definitely not easy to glare at perfection for too long- after a few moments, I was resigned to plastering a smile on my own face once again.

Adam offered my books to me, holding out his arms, and I placed them in their respective arrangement in my locker and book bag while he stood there observing me. It made me a little uncomfortable to know that he was watching, but I did my best to ignore it. When I swung my backpack over my shoulder and slammed my locker door shut, I felt the weight of my backpack suddenly being lifted off of me. Facing Adam, I noticed that he was now carrying both his and my book bags, awkwardly holding each over one shoulder.

"Really, Adam," I said. "I can carry my own book bag. There's no need for you to take two."

He turned the full power of those breathtakingly beautiful topaz pools on me, and I knew that I had already lost the fight before he even began speaking. Hopefully, he wouldn't manage to see my struggle to surface from being submerged in those twin beauties. "It's really no problem, Cassie."

Exerting all my effort, I broke my gaze from his so that I could form a response. Looking at my shoes, "Well, alright then," was the brilliant mumbled reply I came up with.

Without another word, he walked purposefully down the hallway towards the cafeteria. He was setting such a pace that I was nearly jogging after him. What was the hurry, anyway?

All talking ceased in the lunchroom when Adam burst through the double doors. Girls turned to ogle at him, not bothering to hide their infatuation. Boyfriends were in turn glaring jealously at the attention he was receiving from the girls they were dating. Adam didn't seem to be in the least bit perturbed by the stares he was receiving- quite unlike me, who was currently turning a predictable shade of red.

We continued walking straight towards the cafeteria line, and as we did so, the student body broke out into a chorus of hushed whispers. It was the type of whisper that you just _know_ was about you by the way they were casting sidelong glances in your direction. I wondered for a moment if Adam even noticed the attention we were getting, for his stride didn't falter for even one second. All assumptions of this kind were squashed when he turned to glare menacingly at a particular set of girls we were passing. He looked truly menacing, and I hesitated for a second when I caught sight of his face. His eyes seemed to be a pitch black- that must have been a trick of the light or something- and his expression was twisted into an almost feral scowl. The sight made my heart stop, but not in the ways that it had been stopping so often for he past two days. My blood seemed frozen in fear for a moment, and I could only imagine what the recipients of his frightening glare were feeling. Breaking my gaze from his fearsome stance, I glanced over at the set of formerly whispering girls. I say formerly because they were now sitting completely frozen, looking like deer caught in headlights. Their eyes had doubled in size and their jaws were hanging open in startled surprise.

Two seconds later, and Adam abruptly turned his gaze elsewhere. Tentatively looking at his expression, I was left to wonder if I had imagined that little occurrence; Adam's eyes were once again the familiar bright topaz, and he was wearing a fairly neutral appearance, with his mouth turned upwards into a slight smile as he turned to look at me.

"So, what would you like to eat today?" he asked me sarcastically, sweeping a hand in the direction of the cafeteria's slim lunch choices.

It took me a moment to catch up with the change in mood, and I stuttered my answer. "Um… err… there's n… not much of a choice here is there?" I tried my hand at a sarcastic smile, but I'm pretty sure that it turned out sadly off base.

Adam's responding expression confused me. It looked like he had tried a smile at my remark, but it turned out to be more of a grimace, his eyes filling with pain and sorrow when he drank in my own expression. I stayed silent, but I could feel the confusion and apprehension shining on my features.

We didn't speak again as we moved through the line until we had reached the food. As I went to pick up a tray, Adam deflected my hand, and I cocked my head at him questioningly.

"I'll get your food," he answered.

"You don't have to do that," I said.

"No, really, it's alright."

"Okay, then," I shrugged my shoulders at him.

He then proceeded, to my amazement, to fill up the tray he was holding with at least one of every option in the lunch line. Wow, that kid must really be hungry.

When he had finished gathering up his small feast, we searched for a table to sit at. After a few moments of hunting, we found an empty table in the back of the room and made our way for it. Once we reached the table, Adam swiftly slid the tray onto the tabletop and was instantly at my chair, sliding it out for me. My only acknowledgement was blushing slightly and the speeding up of my heart that never seemed to be able to stay stable around Adam. I could almost swear that I heard an answering chuckle, but it was so faint that I was unsure if I was imagining things.

"So," I began, desperately searching for a topic. The only thing I could currently think of was the stares of the student populace which, while having dissipated somewhat, were still being cast in his direction. "You sure don't seem very fazed by all the looks you get." _Well, except for when you give death glares to random girls eating lunch..._ but I chose to keep that last comment to myself.

"Oh, well, it isn't really a big deal," he shrugged, looking modest. "Most people just don't have anything better to do than stare at strangers, I suppose."

What exactly was I supposed to say to that? "Mmm," was all I came up with.

At that point, Adam reached out to the tray in between us, and, instead of grabbing a piece of food like I had expected him to, pushed it in my direction. "Aren't you hungry?" I asked him. I was appalled when he shook his head no. "Then who the heck is all this food for?" I asked incredulously.

"You, of course." How he could possibly keep a straight face when he said that was beyond me.

"Me? You must be kidding!" I raised my eyebrows at him, planting a look of disbelief on my face. "This could last me _days_!"

He simply shrugged a pair of very muscular shoulders. "Well, then, you have an ample choice of what you _would_ like to eat."

I rolled my eyes at his nonchalance. "You know the lunch ladies are going to murder you for wasting all this food, right?"

Instead of looking worried, he gave me an amused smile. "Don't be concerned about me. The lunch ladies won't even notice."

I frowned skeptically, but realized that arguing wasn't going to get me anywhere. Instead, I began poking around the tray for something that I would want to eat.

Choosing a slice of pepperoni pizza, I lifted the greasy cheese to my mouth and bit in hungrily; I hadn't noticed just _how_ ravenous I was until this moment. The whole slice had almost disappeared down my throat in mere seconds. I peeked up through my lashes to see Adam's reaction to my famished state, only to find the amused smile that was soon becoming quite familiar to me. I rolled my eyes slightly at my response to the food, nonetheless returning to my pizza- if only slightly more dignifiedly nibbling.

Once again lost for a subject, I willed an idea to come into my head as I finished off the crust.

"So," I began, stalling for time. "How are you liking it here in Cold Bay?"

"Well, the weather isn't the greatest around here, but I have met someone extremely interesting," he said nonchalantly.

"Really?" my curiosity was piqued. "Who?" I rarely met anyone worth my time here; the people of Cold Bay tended to be excessively shallow for my tastes.

The look Adam gave me in response was one that you would give a small child missing something very obvious. I struggled to come up with a reason for his expression before it hit me.

"Oh," I murmured quietly. _Naïve much, Cassie?_ I felt my cheeks heating up while I gave an "Um…" to break the silence.

He chuckled lightly at my embarrassment, but quickly grew more serious. "You really are an intriguing person, Cassidy." His voice was thick with sincerity. His eyes bore into mine was if looking for an answer that he could lift out of their depths. I was frozen in my seat, once again transfixed by his liquid-gold eyes, unable to avert my gaze- not that I really wanted to.

Our gazes were broken- all too soon for my taste- by a sudden rasping sound. It took me a moment to realize that the sound was my lungs working in overtime to supply my breathless body with oxygen. I felt my cheeks, which were still flushed from my previous embarrassment, turn what I was sure was a not-so-appealing tomato red. This action didn't help my lungs' quest in breathing, however, and I desperately tried to throw all thoughts of the gorgeous specimen before me out of my mind and focus on breathing effectively. Let me tell you, that was easier said than done.

Once my breathing was under control, I heard a low chuckle emit from Adam's handsome lips. "Cassie, Cassie, Cassie," he said in a teasingly exasperated voice. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Um," _Wow Cassie- stutter much?_ I tried out a coy voice that ended up marginally short of what I was aiming for, turning out more like a tortured type of squeak- tortured in a good way that is-, "What _are_ you going to do with me?" I said, editing the 'we.'

Too embarrassed by my question to look at his face, I allowed my hair, which hung loose today, to swirl around my face as I peered down to choose a drink. Spotting my favorite, chocolate milk, my gaze remained averted from him while I began unscrewing the cap.

"Actually," he started. His voice sounded hesitant. Hesitant about what? "I was wondering if maybe you would like to go out to dinner with me tonight."

My head snapped up to look at him, leaving the milk forgotten in my hands. Did Adam- the reincarnation of pure beauty Adam- just ask _me_ out? Plain old me? My head was spinning furiously as it tried once again to grasp an unbelievable idea.

Of course, I probably should have seen this coming. I mean, any _normal_ girl would have. The thing was that I was far from normal. I didn't have much experience in these types of things, and just the fact that Adam was even talking to a Plain Jane like me was beyond my comprehension. To even consider the idea of him asking me out was otherworldly. That being the case, you can imagine what it was like to actually experience this turn of the heavens.

"Um," I stalled, still not believing what I had heard. "Are you sure?" There was no way that I was worthy of this god's attention, let alone the privilege of going on a date with him.

Adam's face turned into a hard mask of exasperation at my last inquiry. "Of course I'm sure, Cassie. Why would you think otherwise?"

I blushed under the intensity of his gaze, dropping my eyes once more to my chocolate milk. I turned the bottle over in my hands, pretending to be fascinated by it as I answered.

"Oh, I don't know," I muttered to my hands.

"Cassidy," I was surprised by the sharpness of his tone, "look at me."

Reluctantly, I lifted my gaze to peer at his topaz eyes. In an instant, my fears were put into effect- I lost all conscious thought as I stared into his eyes. _How does he _do _that?_ I was struggling to remember what we had been talking about just moments before.

"Cassidy," the angel spoke, more softly this time, but with a tone of urgency still detectable in his voice.

"Mmm?" was all that I could muster as I stared helplessly at two beautiful pools of ocher.

"What would make you say that?"

"Say what?" I honestly couldn't remember what he was talking about.

"Why don't you believe that I would ask you out to dinner?"

_Oh, that_. Some of my helplessness was lost as I remembered my reason for that fact. The owner of those handsome topaz pools could never want me.

However, despite my loss of helplessness, I was still trapped by those unnerving eyes of his. Unfortunately, this little fact prevented my ability to come up with an adequate lie… or _any_ lie for that matter. Before I knew it, that truth was pouring out of my mouth.

"Well," my voice reflected my dazed state, "I should think that would be obvious."

Adam's handsome brow furrowed in confusion. It was amazing how cute his pale face looked at the moment.

"Actually, I have no idea what you are talking about. Enlighten me."

"Well, just look at you. You're smart, handsome, articulate, and overall perfect. And me… well, I'm just me- nothing special. How could I ever compare to you? I'm amazed that you're even talking to me. I'm not worth your time."

"Cassidy," he said thickly, his voice filled with a mixture of exasperation and what sounded like agony. Agony? _What in the world?_

"Cassidy," he repeated. I couldn't help but notice how angelic my name sounded when he said it, even in that tone. "How can you say that? You obviously don't see yourself clearly. Or me, for that matter. I'm the one that can't compare to you." I gave him a disbelieving look at that statement. "No, don't look at me that way. Believe me, I'm the one that is unworthy of _your_ presence, not the other way around."

This blatant lie enable me to break our gazes, releasing me from my stupor. I began twisting and untwisting the cap of my milk bottle as I wondered why Adam would speak such blasphemy.

"So kind, too," I said quietly to myself, too low for Adam to hear. "Kind enough to outright lie simply to make me feel better."

My head snapped up when he replied to what I thought had been my inaudible comment. "If only you knew, Cassidy. If only you knew," he said softly, slowly shaking his head back and forth.

I was silent at this statement. How exactly was I supposed to reply to that?

Adam was the one to break the silence- it was funny how there had seemed to be complete and utter quiet despite the fact that there was a jabbering student body only feet away from us; we seemed to be in our own little bubble. "On second thought, maybe it would be best for you if we didn't go out."

My head drooped once again at this declaration. This time, I didn't bother with the pretense of occupying my hands. Instead, I just slumped my shoulders and sighed dejectedly. Without noticing it, I had begun allowing myself to hope that Adam truly did mean his invitation, and was not currently in a delusional state. This fact made my fall to reality all that much further and harder. I wallowed in the truth of my unworthiness compared to Adam, stretching my arms out across the table and burying my head between them.

I was startled to feel a cold hand gently stoking my own. Slowly I lifted my head from the table and looked up at Adam resignedly from my hunched position.

"No, it's alright," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "Don't feel sorry. I knew this was the truth. I'm not sure why I began to hope otherwise."

Adam's eyes looked tortured for some reason. I couldn't figure this out- _I_ was the one being rejected.

Regardless, his eyes revealed some sort of inner turmoil when he answered. "Really, Cassidy, this is for the best." For some odd reason he was averting his gaze from my own as he said this.

"I know," my voice was still flat. "I wouldn't want to bore you. I'm sure…" Something clicked in my poor, overworked brain at that moment. "Hold on. Did you say our not going out would be better for _me_? How do you deduce that?"

Adam's eyes flashed with an emotion I could not place for a moment before settling on something that I could only describe as an ancient sadness. It truly looked as if he were being burdened by an immense weight; a weight that I longed to free him from. Unfortunately, the way to lift that weight may just be removing myself from his presence- a hurtful experience for me, but if it helped him, it would be worth it without question.

"I'm not sure how to explain it, Cassidy. Just believe me, alright? You have no idea how bad of an idea it is for you to get involved with me."

"Fine, then," I said crossly. This boy was getting on my last nerve. It was one thing for him to try to shoulder some of the blame, but another thing entirely for him to be so darn persistent about this. He might as well tell me outright that he doesn't want to go out with me- it's not like that was a secret or anything. "In that case, for _my_ sake of course," sarcasm was dripping from my lips at this last part, "I think it would be better if we didn't hang out anymore. And don't give me any of that 'let's be friends' crap either- it would only make it harder for me to be constantly reminded of how you don't want me."

Adam seemed taken aback at my outburst. Apparently, it was not something that he had anticipated. However, I didn't have any sympathy for him as I looked at his startled face- I was having enough trouble keeping myself from crying.

That was the thing about me- I'm an extremely easy crier. It seemed that I did it whenever I felt a strong emotion; anger, regret, sadness, embarrassment, happiness- you name it. While this could sometimes be used to my advantage, most of the time it only frustrated me. I didn't particularly enjoy being branded a crybaby throughout my elementary years, but I had no control over it. It was like my body's way of reacting to stress-overload. Whenever I was emotionally strained, bring on the waterworks. The only time I _didn't_ seem to cry much was when I was in physical pain; I supposed this had something to do with all my tears being reserved for pain of the emotional variety.

Now, while my mind was being as emotionally stressed out as possible, I was determined not to show it. How humiliating would it be for Adam to see me bawling like a three-year-old? Well, maybe not bawling, but close enough to it in my mind. Instead of succumbing to the prickling sensation behind my eyes, I swallowed a lump in my throat and blinked back the tears.

"Good_bye_, Adam," I forced out of my clogged throat. My voice broke somewhat when I said his name, and I avoided looking at his eyes as I gave my farewell- I could only imagine what effect being dazzled by him would be caused at the moment, but I had a nagging suspicion that it would involve lots and lots of tears.

With that, I turned on my heel and sped out of the cafeteria.

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**A/N: Hmm... I definitely hadn't planned on Cassie getting mad at Adam, but once I set her free, she just showed a side to me that I hadn't seen before. Now don't look at me like I'm crazy... I'm sure some of you understand what I'm talking about.**

**And by the way... REVIEW PLEASE!!!! Reviews make me happy!**


	6. Rollercoaster

**Hey! So sorry for the long wait! I'm having MAJOR writer's block for the next couple of chapters, and have been trying to alleviate it by writing some random scenes from later on in the story that keep popping into my head. Hopefully, this will work. If not, then at least you will know that by the time I actually get to writing the next chapters, I will have a bunch of others written as well XD.**

**Still not Stephenie Meyer... still don't own Twilight or any of its characters... still infatuated with them.**

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CHAPTER 6- Rollercoaster

I hadn't talked to Adam for over three weeks. We passed each other in the hallways occasionally, but I made it a point to ignore him. The only time that we conversed was when we were required to for Chemistry, and, even then, I made sure to meet only the minimum requirement.

The first week or so, Adam had kept trying to talk to me, but I wouldn't hear of it. The last thing I needed was to be reminded of how much I enjoyed spending time with him, so I avoided doing so at all costs. If I was reminded of this fact, it would only make it that much harder for me to ignore him like I should.

At one point, it occurred to me that that was a sort of circular reasoning. I was avoiding him to keep myself from spending time with him, and I was keeping myself from spending time with him so that I could avoid him. Whatever type of illogical reasoning this may be, I decided to stick to my plan of pretending he didn't exist.

This stance was merely an appearance, though. As much as I managed to ignore him outright, I could hardly keep him out of my thoughts. Adam was constantly on my mind, making it quite hard for me to think about anything else. This didn't happen to help with my schoolwork, but since it was still fairly early in the school year, I hadn't fallen too far behind yet. It was only a matter of time, though.

I still couldn't come up with a legitimate reason for him occupying my mind so thoroughly. I had only known and talked to him for two days, and yet I was devastated by my separation from him, however much self-inflicted. Two days hardly constituted for the slump I was in, but that didn't do anything to remove me from said slump.

The other thing floating around in my mind was that mysterious first day of school. Even weeks later, I couldn't even begin to come to a conclusion as to what had happened. I knew I could rule out a stone wall, but what other options did I have? Not many. There was no way that it had been my imagination, either. I hadn't fallen down unconscious of my own accord.

And where exactly had Adam come into all of this? He was there when I had awoken, but when had he joined me? Before that, I hadn't even seen him before, so it wasn't like someone had called him because they knew he would be concerned about me.

I was contemplating all this one Wednesday in homeroom, staring at the back of the person in front of me and completely spacing out.

"Cassie? Are you alright? I'm really starting to worry about you," Kaitlyn voiced. She had been worried about me for a while, in fact. She had ample reason to, as well, but I hardly wanted to impose on her by causing her such concern.

"I'm fine," I said automatically. She knew me too well- she didn't buy it for an instant.

"Is this about this Adam guy?" she questioned, ignoring my last input. "I'm not sure why you're so depressed over him. Sure, he may be extremely hot, but that doesn't exactly mean that you should go into mourning." She was one to talk. Kaitlyn had a habit of going for any hot guy in her path. She said her philosophy in life was that "God put hot guys out there for us women, so why not take advantage of the situation?" "Actually, I'm surprised you even care at all; that's just not like you." She had hit the nail on the head there- it certainly was unlike me to obsess so much over a guy. This was just one of the many ways that I was different than Kaitlyn; in fact, some would even go as far as to call us polar opposites. I suppose the saying is true, though: opposites do attract. She had an insane way of balancing me that no one else had yet to pull off.

Except for one person. Maybe that was why I was so fixated on Adam. He tended to have the same effect on me that Kaitlyn did, if not in a slightly different way. I could tell this even from the dismally short amount of time that I had spent with him.

I had characteristically told Kaitlyn all about my experience with Adam shortly after our fight. This new conclusion was a comparison that I was sure Kaitlyn would be all too happy to hear about. Anything that related her and a good looking member of the male species was game for her. As it was, there hadn't been much to tell, with Adam and me only conversing for two days and whatnot. This thought only caused me to go into a deeper recession.

"Really, Kaitlyn, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"I will always worry about you when I have a good reason to," she replied like a good friend. This 'good friend' business was beginning to wear on my nerves, though; she kept pestering me when all I wanted to do was to be left alone. Unfortunately, such peace was rarely granted in Kaitlyn's presence. I would have to plan to have girl time with her soon- that was the only way to throw her off of the trail.

Still recovering from my miserable state, I was slow to leave homeroom today. I ambled reluctantly over to first period English.

When I had made if halfway there, the second bell rang, signaling the start of class. I groaned aloud in annoyance and hastened my pace slightly. Still rapidly pacing in the direction of the English classroom, I was startled to run into someone as I rounded a corner. Barely managing to keep my balance, I swayed uncertainly as my books flew in various directions throughout the hallway. I stuck out my hands sideways in a vain attempt to regain my balance just before I felt myself tip too far backwards to possibly remain upright. Grimacing in anticipation of contact with the unforgiving tile, I closed my eyes as I fell backward.

I had only made it a short distance towards the ground before I felt a pair of icy, protective arms encircle me. With my eyes still closed, I couldn't help but recall how familiar this position felt. Luckily, I hadn't hit my head this time, and was still conscious to discover my predicament.

My eyes flew open when I had registered this. _Finally._ I'll be able to figure out exactly what had happened on that mysterious first day of school.

The sight before me would have caused me to fall down in surprise if I was not still being held upright. A handsome boy with pale skin and topaz eyes peered down at me, a pair of perfect eyebrows furrowed in concern. His dirty-blonde hair flopped carelessly around his head in a way that most male models could only dream of accomplishing.

Assured that I was stable enough to stand without assistance, Adam proceeded to gather my books that had scattered, littering the hallway. Much sooner than I thought possible, he had piled them into his arms, and was looking at me questionably for some reason that seemed deeper than a curiosity about my little mishap.

Refusing to blush in front of him, I held out my arms to retrieve my books from him. His response was not quite what I had expected. Instead of handing them over, a mischievous smile spread across his face as he jerked them out of my reach. Frustrated due to both his antics and my lateness, I scowled at him, lowering my hands from their outstretched position. I had realized from experience that when people play this little game of keep away, it is much more effective to ignore them- they will likely bore with the game and relent the possession to you.

Adam decided to defy my logic. After standing there not-so-patiently waiting for him to hand over the books for a couple of minutes, I realized that he was not going to surrender. I sighed in aggravation and scowled even deeper in his direction.

"What do you _want_, Adam?" I snapped. It was easier for me to be annoyed with him; that way I stood less of a chance of succumbing to his dazzling gaze.

"Why won't you talk to me, Cassidy?" I pointedly avoided his eyes- for obvious reasons. His voice was light, but I sensed a deeper emotion hidden beneath the exterior.

"I don't think I'm going to even bother answering that," I said haughtily. Inside, though, I knew that I had said that because I really didn't have an answer. Why _was_ I avoiding him? The whole thing seemed like a blur now, and nothing particularly made sense anymore- if it ever had.

The hurt expression on Adam's face could only be because of my reluctance to explain myself. Instead of holding to his pursuit of discovering the meaning behind my actions, though, he mutely handed my belongings back to me. With a last look at me, he turned and walked silently down the hall, leaving me to my own thoughts.

I felt an unexplained pain creep up in my chest as I watched Adam's retreating back. However much trouble I was going through to avoid him, I realized with a sickening feeling just how much it was destroying me to stay away from him. This dependence frightened me; I wondered- not for the first time- how I could possibly feel such a connection with a person that I had had such little acquaintance with.

In a zombie-like state, I dully walked the rest of my way to class. I didn't have enough energy to put up my usual façade this morning, and I allowed my face to slip into whatever emotion it pleased. At the moment, I could feel it reflecting my pain and confusion.

Pushing open the door to English, I was dimly aware of Mr. Donovan reaming me out for my lateness. Unable to muster up an apologetic look, I merely slipped my way quietly into my seat.

After ten minutes of sitting placidly in my chair, I still had not taken out my notebook or shown any interest in the day's lecture. My thoughts were still swirling around a single person.

How could I possibly be so infatuated with Adam? I barely knew him, and yet my every action was currently being hindered by my seemingly endless obsession over him.

I made my decision then and there- I would have to attempt to make amends with Adam. The constant torture of separation needed to end soon, or I was afraid that I would crack under the pressure. I may be afraid of my unreasonable need for him, but it was precisely this need that was going to overtake me if I did not act upon it. I resolved to contact Adam the next chance I got.

A repulsive thought suddenly overcame me. I felt sick just thinking about it. What if Adam didn't want to talk to me after everything that had happened between us? I knew that I had said some awful things to him, and I would completely understand if he was unwilling to forgive me. However much I understood, though, didn't make this possibility any harder to swallow. I had been anything but cordial to Adam lately, and if I were him, I wouldn't be too quick to overlook that fact.

Lowering my head to the desktop, I closed my eyelids, fighting back an unexpected wave of tears. My breath was coming in short gasps, and I worked on regulating my breathing as I contemplated my existence without Adam's forgiveness. I felt my mental equilibrium quickly flowing out of grasp like a current moving downhill.

I was past the point of fearing my attachment to this beautiful, god-like creature. The fact was, I was in danger of losing my sanity over him, and the only way it seemed to stabilize my mental condition would be to regain contact with him. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that didn't seem too possible. Vomit collected at the back of my throat as I imagined my life without Adam.

"Cassidy?" a concerned voice broke through my bleak musings. With great effort, my eyelids fluttered open, and I was rewarded with a blurry vision of Mr. Donovan leaning over my desk. My sight was unclear due to the tears that were welling up due to my emotional overload, and it took an immense effort to keep them from cascading freely down my face.

I must have looked like a wreck, because my teacher was obviously worried instead of annoyed at my lack of attention. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked me. "Do you need to go to the nurse?"

My attempt at an answer was futile- all that came out was a tortured sob. I don't believe that Mr. Donovan suspected emotional pain, because his eyes seemed to be searching my body for a source of my agony; I was too far gone to be uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

Biting my lip to prevent any further sobbing, I nodded my head in agreement to his question.

"Can you walk? Do you need anyone to escort you there?"

Debating for a minute which question to answer, I settled on a shake of my head, hoping that he would take that as a reply to the latter. Luckily, he seemed to be on the same wavelength for at least that action, and he returned to the front of the room to continue his lecture.

Composing myself slightly, I lifted myself from my chair- ignoring the dizzy feeling that was threatening to overtake me- and swung my backpack over my shoulder. Vaguely, I was aware of numerous glances being cast in my direction, some concerned and some disgusted. However, I was not in a position to care about these stares, which gave ample proof to what a horrible state I was in- normally, I would be blushing up a storm. Hurrying out of the classroom, I put all of my energy into not to losing the balance- both mental and now physical as well- that was quickly slipping from my grasp.

Making a quick decision, I bypassed the nurse's office and headed straight for the parking lot. The last thing I needed now was to be yet again bombarded by the overzealous caretaker. Sure, she had been helpful, but I wasn't particularly in the mood to put up with what were sure to be an onslaught of questions.

I hoped fervently that no one would be looking out of the front office window while I walked by; a trip to the principles office would _not_ do anything to assist the situation. Luckily, the gods were with me that day and no wandering eyes were roaming in my path, allowing me to slip by undetected.

Once I had reached my car, I lost the frail control that I had hung on to. In a rush, tears fell from my eyes like a dam being let open. My cheeks were soon wet from the sobs that were beginning to rack my body, but I paid them no attention and let them stay saturated.

I sat there, crying hysterically, for who knows how long, finally spent from the emotional rollercoaster that I had been on for the past weeks. I cried for my harsh words aimed at Adam. I cried for the impossibly small amount of time I had spent with him. I cried for the possibility of his never speaking to me again. Most of all, though, I cried for my inexplicable yet absolute need for him.

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**How was it?**


	7. Forgetting

**Hey guys!! This is a REALLY REALLY REALLY short chapter (smiles sheepishly). On the bright side, I updated!! It's only been like, what? Four months? Sorry! I truly am! I know you don't want excuses, but Kaitlyn was giving me some issues! Which is also probably why the chapter's so short. But, ah well. I pretty much know where I am going from here, so if there is anyone out there still reading, I am HOPING to have more updates soon. Yay!**

**I don't own Twilight, or, by the way, Finding Nemo.**

**Now, on with the story!**

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CHAPTER 7- Forgetting

"Alright, it's time to stop moping." Kaitlyn's voice sounded filtered as it drifted through the haze that seemed to envelop me. "We're going to do something tonight."

"I'm not moping," I argued weakly, lifting myself into a sitting position. My bed creaked in protest as the springs shifted with my weight. The sheets were twisted grotesquely around me, and I grappled with them for a minute before I could release their hold on one of my legs.

"Oh, please," Kaitlyn said disbelievingly. "You are _so_ moping. And I've had enough of it." She plopped herself dramatically down next to me, causing me to bob up and down slightly as her weight was added to the mattress.

"What time is it?" I asked hazily, rubbing my eyes, which were still a bit sore and puffy from crying. My voice was thick, and I cleared my throat as she answered.

"Half past seven," she told me briskly. Her chipper tone was beginning to get on my nerves. Could she not just let me wallow in peace?

Wait… did she just say "_Seven thirty?_" Was it really that late?

"Um…" She looked confused. "Yeah."

If I had left school during first period, that means I got here at, what… nine? Had I really been here on my bed for over ten hours? It had seemed like ten minutes. My how time flies when you have a broken heart.

"Anyway," Kaitlyn started again. "What to you want to do?"

"Um," I said again. "Go to sleep?" I was exhausted from doing nothing all day.

Rolling her eyes dramatically, Kaitlyn abruptly stood up, grabbing both of my hands and forcing me into a standing position. My head swam from the sudden movement after being still for so long.

"Hey!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Watch it!"

"It's your own fault for being a stick in the mud," she told me unsympathetically. "Now, what do you want to do today? And it will _not_ involve staying in this room!"

"I really don't want to go anywhere, Kate," I told her. "I don't have the energy."

"Fine, then," she pouted. "We don't have to go anywhere. But you are most definitely getting Off. Of. This. Bed!"

"I _am_ off the bed, Kaitlyn!"

She seemed to have reached her breaking point as she looked at me with an intense amount of exasperation, spun on her heel, and promptly dragged me out of the room. I didn't have enough energy to fight her, and placidly stumbled along behind.

"Where are we going?" I asked her, disoriented as we navigated our way downstairs.

"Well, seeing as you are being _incredibly_ stubborn, and won't go out of the house, we are going to have our girl's night here."

"And what exactly does that entail?" I asked her warily.

"Movie Night!" she proclaimed excitedly. I sighed.

"Oh, _come on,_ Cass. You could at least try to act a little excited. The whole point of this is to get you out of your Adam slump."

I visibly cringed at the sound of his name, but otherwise ignored her reference to the godlike creature over which I was pining. "And how exactly is _Movie Night_ supposed to help me out of that slump?" I asked skeptically.

"It's cleansing for the soul," she informed me defensively. I rolled my eyes at her.

We were now standing in my living room, where she promptly placed her hands on my shoulders and shoved me onto the plush couch- I sunk into the cushions with a soft 'oomph.'

"Now, what shall we watch tonight?" she pondered aloud as she turned to the case of movies sitting next to my slightly-outdated television. The shelves were packed- my dad was a bit of a hoarder.

"Oh, oh! I know! That's perfect!" she exclaimed animatedly, clapping her hands together. Her enthusiasm was getting more and more aggravating by the second.

"_What's_ perfect, Kaitlyn?"

"Finding Nemo!"

"Finding Nemo? You must be kidding me."

"Oh, come on! Everyone loves Finding Nemo," she reasoned. I rolled my eyes, sighing in defeat. I didn't have the energy to argue.

"Whatever, then. Let's watch Finding Nemo."

A huge smile stretched across her radiant face. "Yay!" she squealed enthusiastically as she pulled it out of its case. I groaned in response.

Kaitlyn's vivacious green eyes sparkled with anticipation. Who knew that an animated fish movie could make her so excited?

Once she had loaded the movie into my ancient television, she flitted blithely towards my kitchen, practically skipping.

"Um, Kaitlyn?" I addressed her. "Where are you going?"

"To get sustenance, of course!"

"Sustenance?"

"You know- popcorn, soda, candy, etcetera," she explained calmly.

"Why would I have all that stuff in my house? You know what a stickler my mom is for healthy junk," I reminded her.

"Which is exactly why I made a stop at the convenience store on the way!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. Of course she had.

Left on my own for a while, I snuggled into the warm confines of the sofa. Burrowing myself into the comfortable cushions, I rested my head on a nearby pillow. I was still in quite a bad mood, but I couldn't help but admit that Kaitlyn had taken my mind off of _him_- at least for a little while.

With not much else to do, I looked around the décor of my family's living room. The furnishing had an antique theme, with handsome cherry wood framing the sleek black fabric of the armchairs. Cream drapes adorned wide windows, through which the bright beacons of my mother's flowers were visible. The sun shone weakly through the glass, the sky a pink haze visible through the leafy treetops that lined our front yard. Small birds twittered around the lawn, looking for a late night snack as several squirrels hunted for dropped nuts.

I had to admit that my annoyance at Kaitlyn was wearing off. I knew that she was only doing this to cheer me up, and I wasn't being a very good sport about it. Besides, it had really begun to work… I hadn't thought about _him_ at all since she came.

Now, I allowed him to penetrate my thoughts once again, but I made sure not to dive headfirst back into my pit of despair. I wondered what he was doing right now? Whatever it was, I was sure he was not having the same issue I was- he probably barely even noticed my absence from his life.

I couldn't help but remember the crestfallen look on his face when I blew him off today, though. I had no idea why he had looked so hurt. Did he really care more than I thought?

"I'm _ba-ack_," Kaitlyn sang, cutting through my ponderings, as she dramatically entered the living room. Her arms were piled high with bowls of popcorn and assorted candy, and she had a bottle of soda tucked underneath each arm.

"Jeez, Kate, how much junk food could you get?" I asked playfully.

Settling herself down on the sofa next to me, she handed me a bowl of popcorn and a bag of Skittles before flicking the remote towards the television. Music immediately began to flow towards us, signaling the start of the previews.

"Thanks," I told her. She knew I was talking about more than the Skittles.

"No problem," she brushed me off as she shifted to get comfortable.

We quickly settled into the movie, and I got much more absorbed in Finding Nemo than I thought possible. I think I even caught Kaitlyn crying at the point where Nemo gets taken away by the boat. It's a shame I didn't have a camera on me.

By the time the movie ended, the popcorn was running low and my eyes were heavy-lidded. It couldn't have been past nine-thirty, but I was exhausted, and drowsiness was quickly overcoming me.

I heard the shuffling of plastic that told me Kaitlyn was looking for her next choice of a movie. She must have realized how far gone I was, because she didn't ask for my opinion.

My consciousness was eluding me as I heard the beginning drones of whatever move Kaitlyn had chosen- I couldn't bring myself to care what it was.

The last thing I noticed before I succumbed to the lure of sleep was Kaitlyn sprawling out on the floor in front of me.


End file.
